Schoolfriends of two brothers feared to have lost their lives in the Hinckley Road explosion are raising raised thousands of pounds to help the family.

Mary Ragoobeer, 46, and her sons Shane, 18, and 17-year-old Sean have been missing since the explosion tore through their flat, and the shop beneath shortly after 7pm on Sunday.

Leicestershire Police today confirmed the mother and sons are missing, together with Leah Beth Reek, 18, who is Shane’s girlfriend, and 22-year-old Viktorija Ijevleva who is thought to have been working in the supermarket at the time of the explosion.

A third brother, Scotty, is believed to have survived the blast.

Pupils at English Martyrs Catholic School, in Anstey Lane, Leicester, where Shane used to go and to which Sean and Scotty still go, have set up a fund-raising page which is already more than £2,500 towards its £5,000 target after being set up by two Year 11 students yesterday.

Year 10 pupil Millie-Mae O’Callaghan, 15, of Newfoundpool, Leicester, said: “I know all three boys, they’re really nice, sweet lads who like to help people.

"Scotty and his brothers have done charity work.

"Sean and Scotty were still at the school but Shane had left.

"First thing yesterday the school got together the Year 10s and sixth form and told us what had happened.

"Everyone was really upset. A lot of the lads who are their mates were crying, they are very popular lads.”

Leah Reek and boyfriend Shane Rajoobeer. Both are missing after the Hinckley Road explosion

She added: “The head teacher, Mr Carney, told us the first thing when we got to school, he asked us to pray for them to get better and hope for the best that they pull through.

"It is very upsetting because they are all such nice people.

“For it to happen to anyone it is upsetting, but when it’s someone you know, it’s even worse.

"I think the fund raising page is amazing.

"It’s so good that everyone is getting together to try and do something to help the family.”

"Two of the children involved in this incident are students at our school, and many of us were close with them.

Mary Ragoobar and sons Sean (left) and Shane (Image: Mirror)

"We hope to raise money so that we can provide funds for any financial support they need.

"Any donations will be greatly appreciated, and we will be doing our best to do fund raising within our school to help too.

"We plan to deliver the funds directly to the father of the family who lived in the flat above.”

Millie-Mae's Mum, Aimee Worrad, 35, said: “It really makes me proud what they’re doing and how I would feel if I was a parent in that situation.

"They are a credit to the school, just using their own initiative.

"Millie told me what had happened at school as soon as she came home, it’s affected her, I could tell it’s playing on her mind.

“She was telling us it’s upset a lot of the children at the school.

"Some of the boys coming out of the assembly were crying.

"It has affected a lot of children in more ways than you could imagine.

“It says a lot about the school that they encouraged their students to think about their friends and the wider community.”

Aimee, who, with partner Joe Muchabaiwa, 29, were involved helping a man badly burned in a fire in neighbouring Ruby Street, in October, added: “I watched the news constantly yesterday, it has affected me because of the fire in Ruby Street, knowing the effects of fire and seeing how bad it was and it has affected me very much to find out Millie’s friends were involved, it has hit home even more.

“I want to do everything I can to help share knowledge of the go fund me page as much as possible.”